In the 2012-13 Criterion-Referenced Competency Tests (CRCT) state and district-wide scores released Tuesday morning by the Georgia Department of Education, Cobb County Schools beat the statewide average in all categories, Fulton County Schools bested the statewide average in most categories, but all of Atlanta Public Schools’ scores were below the Georgia average.

The test is administered to third- through eighth-graders in five categories: reading, English/language arts, math, science and social studies.

Cobb’s scores ranged from 97.9 percent to 80.1 percent meeting or exceeding standards. The district’s students were above state averages in all 30 combined categories for grades three through eight.

Fulton scores, ranging from 97.0 percent to 75.8 percent meeting or exceeding standards, improved or stayed the same compared to last year in every category except all grades but sixth in English/language arts and third- and seventh-grade math. In science scores, the percentage of students scoring meeting and exceeding standards had increases or decreases +/-1 percentage point.

“We’re excited that several academic areas increased in the ‘exceeds standards’ category, but we want to see improvement in all academic areas,” Fulton Superintendent Robert Avossa said in a news release posted to the district’s website. “It’s important that we continue to raise the ceiling as well as the floor when it comes to student achievement.”

Atlanta’s scores ranged from 94.4 percent, in eighth-grade reading, to 58.1 percent, in sixth-grade science. The district’s schools scored 80 percent or higher in the 13 of the 30 combined categories.

Georgia, along with all other states, will soon be required to significantly increase the rigor and cut scores of all state assessments.

“We’re pleased with the performance on the 2013 CRCTs, but we know that as new federal criteria for state tests come into play in 2014-15, the expectations to meet standards will significantly increase,” Georgia School Superintendent John Barge said in a statement. “The new cut scores will likely result in fewer students meeting and/or exceeding standards, but that is common when you change to a new and more rigorous test.”

The CRCT measures how well students acquire the skills and knowledge described in the Georgia Performance Standards. This information is used to diagnose strengths and weaknesses of instruction in those standards and to gauge the quality of education throughout Georgia.

State law requires that students in third, fifth, and eighth grade meet or exceed expectations on the CRCT in reading in order to be promoted.

Fifth- and eighth-grade students also must meet or exceed expectations on the CRCT in math.

School-level results will be available by July 10, according to the state’s news release.

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